Process and apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil



Oc t. 20, 1931-. R. "r. POLLQCK PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed May 12. 1920 iis ix Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT T. IPOLLOCK, OF IBOS'BON', MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR. TREATING HYDROCARBON OIL Application 'flled May 12,

This invention relates to improvements in a process and apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and refers more particularly to a process for converting high into low boiling point hydrocarbons such as gasoline and the i like.

Among its salient objects tie to provide a process in which the raw oil prior to being introduced to the cracking zone is preheated by being passed through circulating chambers in the dephlegmator thereby relleving the vapors? of their heavy oil content and avoiding the objectional feature of mixing the raw oil with the oil vapors which necessarily extracts a part of the low boiling point cuts; to provide a process by means of which a higher percentage of the low boiling point distillates may be recovered and a process which permits of a subsequent combining of the raw oil and higher boiling point reflux to be charged to the cracking zone; to provide an improved type of apparatus for effecting this process and in general to provide a process and apparatus of the character referred 25.150.

In the drawing The figure is a diagrammatic elevational view of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the raw oil is charged to the apparatus from any convenient source by pump 1 through the inlet pipe 2 to the circulating chambers 3, 4 and 5 mounted in the dephlegmator 6 which take the form of ducts or hollow partition walls and furnish a means for interchanging the heat of the generated oil vapors to the raw oil and at the same time act as a cooling or condensing agent to said vapor; The raw oil circulates first throu h the chamber 3, thence through the pipe" to the chamber 4 andfinally through the pipe 8 to the chamber 5 from which it is drawn ofl' through the line 9 and charged tothe'heatingzone. A valve 10 is interposedin the line 2 and a similar valve '11 in the draw ofi line '9. The reflux recoveredfrom the dephlegmator is drawn ofl through the "pipe 12 which is controlled by a valve 13 and is then combined with the raw oil which has been preheated 50 in the dephlegmator. The mixture is then 16 which is 1920. Serial No. 380,745.

through the risers 21 through the separate The propor- I 20 by means of which they are di-J part of the cracking takes place. 1

stages being subjected to the cooling and coni densing eflect of the raw oil. control the depth of the pools of reflux which are maintained in separate stages. The reflux overflowing from these stages is drawn off through the line 12 as explained. The uncondensed vapors-pass out through the top of the dephlegmator through the gooseneck 23 and are condensed in the coil 24 Stand pipes 22 mounted in the water condenser 25. i From the water condenser the distillate is drawn ofl" through line 26 and collected receiver in the tail house, not shown. Valves 27, 28 and 29 interposed in the lines 20, 23 and 26 respectively, lating'the flow of vapors and liquids in the lines and at the same time a means for controlling the pressures in the diflerent portions of the still. 4

The operation of the process is as follows: through the hollow partition walls of the depnlegmatorwhere it is preheated and condenses the higher boiling point fractions of the oil from the oil vapors.

This preheated raw oil is then combined with The oil vapors which cracking of the oil furnish means for reguin a suitable the raw oil is introduced and circulated the reflux from the dephlegmator and the mixture charged L to the heating tubes where it is raised to a dephlegmator where the higher boiling point fractions are condensed therefrom and are drawn ofl as reflux. lower boiling point or lighter fractions during dephlegmation. Where the raw oil comes into intimate contact with the heated oil vapors there is a consequential absorbing of a certain amount of the lighter fractions by the raw oil and therefore a decreased efliciency in the process.

An illustrative run of mid continent gas oil is as follows: Gas oil of approximately 31 or 32 B. is preheated as explained in the dephlegmator and combined with the reflux therefrom. This mixture is charged to the cracking tubes Where it is subjected to a heat of about 800 F. The heated oil is then directed to the vapor chamber where it is maintained at a heat of about 700 to 750 F. and the vapors released therefrom. After being dephlegmated in a dephlegmator of this type, a yield of from 50 to 60% pressure distillate having an end point of about 450 F. is obtained. I claim as my invention: a

1. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil comprising subjecting oil to cracking conditions of temperature and pressure in a heating zone, subjecting evolved vapors to a refluxing action by causing the vapors to pass first in heat interchange relation but out of physical contact with a moving bod of charging oil for the process and to t ereafter pass in intimate physical contact with a body of reflux condensate, and maintaining said body of reflux condensate in'heat interchange relation with said moving body of charging oil.

2. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil comprising subjecting oil to cracking conditions oftemperature and pressure while flowing in a restricted stream through a heating coil, delivering the heated oil to an enlarged reaction chamber from which no unvaporized oil is permitted to return to said coil, subjectin vapors evolved from the oil to a reflux condensing action by causing such vapors to pass first in heat interchange relation but out of physical contact with a mov-- ing body of charging oil forthe process, and to thereafter pass in intimate physical contact through a collected body of reflux condensate, maintaining said body of reflux condensate in heat interchange relationship with said movin body of charging oil, and delivering refl ux condensate and charging oil from said bodies to said heating coil.

3. In combination with an oil cracking apparatus, a dephlegmating column, a plurality of pairs of spaced partition members extending across said column, the space hetween each air of partition members formconduits for causing vapors moving therethrough to percolate through the collected condensate on the upper partition member of each of .said pairs of partition members, and certain of said conduits being constructed to permit condensate collected in the upper portion of the column to flow downwar ly into a body of condensate collected at a lower. portion of the dephlegmating column.

4. In combination with an oil cracking apparatus, a dephlegmating column, a plurality of pairs of spaced partition members extending across said column, the space between each pair of partition members forming a closed passageway, vertical conduits extending through each pair of partition members connecting the portions of the column above and below each pair of partition members, means for flowing oil through the closed passageways formed by said spaced partition the upper partition member of each of said pairs of spaced partition members, means associated with certain of said conduits for causing vapors moving therethrough to percolate through the collected condensate, on the upper partition member of each of said pairs of partition members, and certain of said conduits bein constructed to permit condensate collecte in the upper portion of the column to flow downwardly into a body of condensate collected at a lower portion of the dephlegmating column, and means for passing condensate from the lower portion of said column to said cracking apparatus.

5. In combination with an oil cracking apparatus, a dephlegmating column, a plurality of pairs of spaced partition members extending across said column, the space between each pair of partition members forming a closed passageway, vertical conduits extending through each pair of partition members connecting the portions of the column above and below each pair of partition'members, means for flowing oil through the closed passageways formed by said spaced partition members, means for collecting condensate on the upp'er partition member of each of said pairs of spaced partition members, means associated with certain of said conduits for causing vapors moving therethrough to percolate through the collected condensate, on the upper partition member of each of said pairs of partition members, and certair of 'members, means for collecting condensate on said conduits being constructed to permit condensate collected in theupp'er portion of the column to flow downwardly into a body of condensate collected at a lower portion of the dephlegmating column, and means for supplying to said cracking apparatus the oil which has passed through said closed passage-' ways and condensate collected portion of said column.

6, In combination with an oil cracking apparatus, a dephlegmating column, a lurality of pairs of spaced partition mem rs extending acrosssaid column, the space between each pair of partition members forming a closed passageway, vertical conduits extending through each pair of partition members connecting the portions of the column above and below each pair of partition members, means for flowing oil through the closed passageways formed by said spaced partition members, means for collecting condensate on the upper partition member of each of said pairs of spaced partition members, means associated with certain of said conduits for causing vapors moving therethrough to percolate through the collected condensate, on the upper partition member of each of said pairs of partition members, and certain of said conduits being constructed to permit condensate collected in the upper portion of the column to flow downwardl into a body of condensate collected at a lower portion of the dephlegmating column, means for removing condensate from the lower portion of said column, and means for introdu to said cracking apparatus the oil which as passed through said closed assageways.

ROBERT POLLOGK.

in the lower 

